i6o 



NA TURE 



[Dec. 28,1871 



insects," speaking of a gasteropod as a " shell-fisli," and 

 describing the Tillandsia as "a variety of moss.'' 

 Another serious defect in the book is that the map which 

 accompanies it does not correspond with the text in the 

 spelling of the names, nor always even in the natural 

 features of the country. 



From Flores M. Morelet proceeded in a southerly direc- 

 tion to the City of Guatemala, passing along the water- 

 shed which separates the streams flowing into Honduras 

 Bay on the east from those which find their outlet in 

 the Gulf of Mexico to the west. A halting-place on the 

 route is the station of Campamac, laid down on the maps 

 as a place of some importance, but which he found to 

 consist of "half-a-dozen worm-eaten posts stuck in the 

 ground in the midst of the forest, and supporting a 

 thatched roof ; a small clearing in front, and faint traces 

 of a path leading to it in one direction, and from it in 

 another." A little farther south, on approaching the In- 

 dian town of Cahabon or Cajabon, the traveller emerges 

 from the dense virgin forests which have clothed the 

 country since he left Flores, and enters on the wide open 

 savannahs which characterise the southern portion of 

 Guatemala. The Indians of this district belong to a 

 different race from the Mayas of Peten; they are of a 

 darker colour, with less regular features and less sym- 

 metry of form ; with low foreheads, high cheek bones, 

 and the top of the head rising to a point in a manner 

 apparently artificial. The civilisation introduced by the 

 Dominicans appears to be gradually decaying ; and Euro- 

 pean vices, added to their own national indolence, are 

 rapidly reducing their numbers, and deteriorating their 

 character. 



The reader will find in IVI. Morelet's narrative much 

 valuable information as to the manners and customs of the 

 inhabitants of an almost unknown territory, and with re- 

 gard to the physical features and natural history of a 

 country extremel) rich in natural productions; inter- 

 spersed with those personal incidents and tales of ro- 

 mantic adventure which add so much to the charm of a 

 book of travel. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



TJie Ornithology of Shakespeare. Critically examined, 

 explained, and illustrated. By James Edmund Harting, 

 F.LS., &c. (London : Van Voorst, 1S71.) 

 The man who wrote the line, " One touch of Naturemakes 

 the whole world kin,'' demands that some notice should be 

 taken in these columns of any one of his numerous com- 

 mentators who may attempt to set forth that side of our 

 versatile poet which turns towards natural history. I\Ir. 

 Harting's attempt is eminently successful. 'We last met 

 with him (not long since) "on the lone sea-shore," we now 

 find he is equally at home in the library, and if he does 

 not convince us that Shakespeare was a greater ornitholo- 

 gist than has lived since, proof at least is adduced that he 

 was, in his knowledge ol birds and their ways, inferior to 

 no one of his time. Books have been written to show 

 that our immortal bard was a soldier, a lawyer, and what 

 not — his reputation as a keen and accurate observer of 

 the feathered race is now fully established. How, indeed, 

 could it be doubted ? Did not the " swan of A-, on " 

 appreciate " the temple-haunting martlet " and the delicate 

 air which it loved ? Did he not " tune his merry note 

 unto the wild bird's throat " while celebrating equally "the 

 clamorous owl that nightly hoots," and " the plain-sung 



cuckoo grey ? " But here we must stop. It is always the 

 reviewer's business ( " 'tis true, 'tis pity, and pity 'tis, 'tis 

 true " ) to point out defects. We may mention one. Mr. 

 Harting has forgotten to notice the correct interpretation 

 of the expression "russet-pated choughs," and urges the 

 claim of the jackdaw to be the bird so distinguished. 

 Now, as he truly says, the daw has a grey head, and to 

 make Shakespeare term grey "russet " is, in our eyes, a 

 crime. Without doubt the poet had in his mind the I'cal 

 Cornish chough, and the expression is quite accurate. 

 " Russet- pated " is having red patles or feet (if. the heraldic 

 croix patee) ; not a red pate or head — a feature equally in- 

 applicable to chough or daw, while the red feet of the former 

 are as diagnostic as can be. We are bound to say, however, 

 that such a slip as this stands alone. Mr. Harting's book 

 in general is not only readable, but exact and instructive, 

 while its illustrative woodcuts are well chosen, well drawn, 

 and well engraved. 



Thoughts on Life-Science. By Edward Thring, M.A. 

 (Benjamin Place), Head-Master of Uppingham School. 

 Second edition ; enlarged and revised. (London and 

 New York : Macmillan and Co.) 



The first edition of this book by the accomplished and 

 efficient head-master of Uppingham School appeared with 

 the pseudonym " Benjamin Place" on its title-page ; this 

 second and much-enlarged edition bears the author's own 

 name. The title may be apt to mislead some as to the 

 nature of the contents ; it is not a work on Biology. The 

 author apparently means by " Life-Science '' the science 

 of those phenomena which are the manifestations of the 

 higher kinds of life, as opposed to those sciences which 

 deal with " matter animate and inanimate." " The world 

 open to man's intelligence," he divides into two parts : 

 " On the one side there is matter animate and inanimate, 

 which as matter is capable of material investigation, and 

 which is below man. On the other side there is life as 

 displayed in feeling and thought, and belief founded on 

 the facts of life. The science of this is Life-Science." 

 Mr. Thring believes that man cannot live by science 

 alone ; that there is a kind of knowledge, a circle of 

 belief, a region of activity, quite outside and independent 

 of science strictly so-called, and which is of far more 

 importance to the great bulk of humanity than any amount 

 of scientific knowledge. To Mr. Thring, in the present 

 " displacement of traditional ideas, it has seemed no use- 

 less task to look steadily at what has happened, to take 

 stock, as it were, of man's gains, and to endeavour, amidst 

 new circumstances, to arrive at some rational estimate of 

 the bearing of things, to examine the instruments and 

 means at our disposal, to examine our strength ; so that 

 the limits of what is possible, at all events, may be clearly 

 marked out for ordinary persons." " This book is an en- 

 deavour to bring out some of the main facts of the world." 

 Mr. Thring puts forward many statements regarding the 

 inadequacy of language as a vehicle for thought, and on 

 the imperfection of human inteUigence itself at the present 

 stage of man's progress, which claim the consideration of 

 all those who are inclined to deny them ; and much of 

 what he says, as to the sphere and power of scientific re- 

 search, deserves to be pondered by all earnest seekers 

 after truth, and, indeed, has almost always been ad- 

 mitted by the highest intellects, who have tried to explore 

 "the great ocean of undiscovered truth." Mr. Thring's 

 style is characterised by a rugged force, and a certain 

 novelty of expression and even of construction, which 

 will render his book interesting to many readers, and 

 which are frequently the outcome of his intense earnest- 

 ness and the thoroughness of his convictions, as well as 

 of impatience with tliose intolerant scientific specialists 

 who imagine the little group of phenomena that comes 

 within the ken of their limited vision to be tlie universe. 

 We heartily commend the book to the attention of our 

 readers. 



